An unauthorized driver of a utility van containing large amounts of copper was arrested Wednesday thanks to a police tracking dog, the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office said.

A Spokane Valley deputy noticed a Power City Electric van pull into Sullivan Park at 2:15 a.m. and park next to another vehicle, a Sheriff’s Office news release said.

When the officer approached the van, the driver left the van and ran eastbound across Sullivan Road. Police dog Brax tracked the man, who was found almost a mile away hiding under a pile of brush in the Sullivan Business Park.

Deputies said James Mulvaney, 48, was the driver of the van. Officers looked inside the van and could see large spools of copper, the release said.

Supervisors at Power City Electric said Mulvaney is not an employee.

Mulvaney was booked into Spokane County Jail on a felony charge of second-degree burglary.

Rico sprang out of the police cruiser and demonstrated a takedown he’d perfected during more than 400 hours of training with the Spokane Police Department.

The 3-year-old Belgian Malinois (left) grabbed the pad-covered arm of the provoking deputy and didn’t let go. He was demonstrating today at the Spokane Police training center in honor of his graduation from K-9 school.

Joining him were two German Shepards: Ayk, with the Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office, and Iron, with the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Department. 

The three dogs are the latest graduates of the Spokane police K-9 school and soon will begin patrol duties with trained handlers.

“Anything that a patrolman can do, we can do safer with the dogs,” said Okanogan County Deputy Tait Everett.

Trainers say the dogs’ keen sense of smell makes them ideal for tracking suspects and recovering evidence. They’ve undergone intense obedience training and have practiced takedowns, tracks and chases.

A 15-year veteran, Everett will work with Ayk (pronounced Ike) as a replacement for a dog that retired in April. Rico, a former Naval Special Forces K-9, will work with Sgt. Troy Teigen.

Iron will work with Kootenai County Sheriff’s Deputy Nate Nelson.

Rico was donated to the Spokane police. Ayk and Iron cost between $7,500 and $10,000.

Rico will be the sixth patrol dog in the Spokane Police Department. Two other dogs are trained on narcotics detection.

Two puppies, Ajax and Alex, remain in the Spokane police K-9 puppy training program.

Past coverage:

Police training awaits donated puppy

A Pullman man inspired by the shooting of a Spokane police dog has given the department a German Shepherd puppy.

Nick Lungu breeds and trains the dogs for his business I-Guard International. He sells the animals for as much as $2,500 each but gave the Spokane Police Department first pick out of his latest litter after reading of the March shooting of Var, a longtime police dog.

Var left the force after police say Johnnie L. Longest III, 22, shot the dog before being shot to death by Officer Dan Lesser, Var’s handler.

The police investigation into that shooting is complete and was recently sent to the Spokane County Prosecutor’s Office, which will make a decision on charge, Lt. Dave McGovern said last week.

Var was awarded the police department’s Purple Heart last month.

Var’s replacement, Rav (featured left in an April photo by the SR’s Christopher Anderson), arrived from Holland in March.

The puppy, named Ajax after the mythological hero, will be raised by Officer Jay Kernkamp as part of the Spokane police K-9 unit’s puppy program.

“This program, due to its careful selection process, has been extremely successful in producing some of the regions finest police service dogs,” according to a news release prepared by Officer Kevin King.

Ajax will follow a “detailed” training regimen that includes tug of war, socializing, simple obedience, environment exposure and lots of play in the early months, King wrote.

“Although only weeks old Ajax is showing promise and has the potential to be one of Spokane’s finest someday,” the news release said.